


A Moment of Madness

by Ponddipper



Series: A Moment of Madness [1]
Category: Death in Paradise
Genre: F/M, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 20:33:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6535309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ponddipper/pseuds/Ponddipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard loses his cool and has a moment of madness.....</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Moment of Madness

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short piece I wrote for my creative writing course. Again I post it as a thank you to everyone who writes so well on here. I aspire to write as well as you all do one day.  
> The characters and setting are NOT my own, but the story is my own imagination.

Detective Inspector Richard Poole let out a huff of irritation as the young man sat down at their table. He had been enjoying a quiet evening meal with his colleague, Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey. They often retired to her mother’s beach side bar after work these days. Richard told himself it was because it was easier to eat at the bar than cook something inedible at home, but this was just an excuse. Deep down he knew it was because he preferred Camille’s company to his own. But this had its drawbacks. His beautiful DS often drew appreciative admirers like moths to a flame. 

Several times a young man (anyone under 35 was young to DI Poole), had approached Camille and asked her to dance. She had consistently declined but as the evening wore on, the man had become more and more drunk, and more and more insistent. Richard was getting fed up of the constant interruptions. When the drunk sat down beside Camille and put his arm around her shoulders, Richard decided he had finally had enough.

‘I don’t think the lady wants to dance.’ Richard said coolly. 

‘I didn’ ask you.’ Slurred the drunk. Richard ground his jaw in irritation.

‘Go home. You’re drunk.’ Richard spat.

The drunk stood up sharply, loudly knocking his chair over backwards. He rounded the table as Richard rose to meet him. He was at least six inches taller than Richard and probably a lot fitter, despite his intoxicated state. Poking him hard in the chest, the drunk smirked at Richard.

‘You go home, old man!’ 

Richard pursed his lips, fists clenched at his sides. Fire raged through him, heart pounding, trying to anticipate the man’s next move.

‘I’m gunna dance with me woman’ proclaimed the drunk, turning towards Camille. 

Choosing to ignore the voice in his head asking why the drunken man’s possessive statement riled him so much, Richard caught the man’s wrist, spinning him back to face him. Silence echoed around the busy bar. All eyes were on the scene in the corner. Richard had dealt with drunks before in London. He wasn’t intimidated. 

‘I said leave her alone.’ Richards tone was quietly menacing and he eyeballed the drunk. 

Camille saw a flash of anger in his eyes, making her gasp, and causing Richard to glance in her direction. This meant he missed the movement of the drunken man’s arm, until a fist landed in his eye. His head jerked back but Richard stood his ground. More punches landed, painfully, each with a fleshy thud. Richard suddenly fought back, catching his attacker in the jaw with a powerful right hook, sending the drunk sprawling unconscious across a table, as Richard slid silently to the floor.

‘Richard? Richard! Can you hear me?’ Camille was instantly at his side, her voice soft and tender. 

Eyes glazed and panting from the adrenaline coursing through his veins he did not respond. Grabbing the bar towel and ice her mother offered Camille held it to his face, and helped him up from the floor. With an arm over her shoulder, Richard leaned heavily on Camille as she guided him out of the bar and back to her nearby apartment.

Sitting Richard on a chair in the bathroom, Camille removed his jacket and tie, and began to undo the buttons on his shirt. The touch of her fingers on his skin brought sentience back to him and he pulled away.

‘Wha…wha…’ he spluttered. She was trying to undress him!

‘Richard! Your shirt is covered in blood. Take it off and I will put it in the machine to wash before it stains.’

He shook his head. He didn’t want her to see him ‘naked’ like that. Another flush of heat coursed through him at the image in his mind and he clutched his shirt closed with trembling hands.

‘Fine!’ She huffed, defeated. ‘At least let me look at your face.’ 

Standing, legs astride him, she took his face in her soft hands, making his skin tingle deliciously. Richard felt a peculiar sensation in his stomach. It was almost fizzy. Light-headed and breathless, he forced himself to look at the wall over her shoulder, not be pulled into the deep brown pools that were her sensuous eyes.

Camille took her time cleaning Richards’s wounds. It felt wonderful to hold his face like that, her fingers tingling where their skin met. She stroked the damp cotton pad over his split lip tenderly, lost, entranced by each detail of his face. Unconsciously licking her lips as she wiped the blood away, Camille wondered what it would feel like to have his lips on hers, how they might taste. Gazing at his dazzling green eyes, she almost wished she could stay close to him like this forever. Richard sighed.

‘I didn’t exactly cover myself in glory, did I?’ He gestured to his face. 

Camille smiled shyly, letting her hands drop away from him. His heart lurched at the loss of contact.

‘Perhaps I should give you some lessons in self-defence.’ She purred. 

Richard blushed deep red, and gave her one of his lop-sided shy smiles. The ones that made her insides turn to jelly. The ones that meant she had found another chink in her knights shining armour.

**Author's Note:**

> There might be another bit to add to this story in the future. It came from an idea for (yet) another story. I'd really appreciate some feedback on how I could improve this. I think it's good when I first write and then when I read it back it seems a bit flat. Any suggestions gratefully received!


End file.
